Oct. 4, 1999

Regardless of how you envision it happening or say that it is going to happen, your leaders end up being your best players and your best players end up being your leaders. In order to be a leader you must set an example, and that is what the better players do.

To have a tremendous attitude or talk a good game is not enough. The true leaders are the ones that assume the responsibility and do it.

The role that the captain plays outside of the program puts a lot of additional pressure on a young man, but it is a positive pressure. It is a great responsibility to be a captain at Notre Dame and there are a lot of things that come with the title. Being the lone captain, Jarious is asked to represent Notre Dame at a number of events. The fact that Jarious is also the quarterback only magnifies his responsibilities off the field. There is no question that his plate is full.

While Jarious is a very visible leader of this team, he is by no means the only leader we have. The reality of it is that there are leaders at every position, some of whom are underclassmen. A team’s leadership comes from so many different players, in addition to your captains.

There are no specific criteria to be a leader. They come in all ages and from every position. A leader is contagious because they provide energy, toughness and guidance. We have an entire team of leaders.

Everyone realizes that when it is easy, it is easy. Players see how the coaches react to different situations. It is not about the clever quote or the t-shirt with the slogan on the back, it is how you react on a consistent basis over a period of time.

The reason I am comfortable we can come back from where we are right now is because our players see how the coaches have reacted to the bad things that have happened. The public only sees bits and pieces of a coach, the players see how the coaches are 24 hours a day.

It is not what you say, but what you do which is leadership.